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Insurance scheme cuts out disabled over age 65

Jessica Wright

A new insurance scheme could force some people to rely on aged care services that are "grossly inadequate". Photo: Jason South

LABOR has set the National Disability Insurance Scheme as its prime policy focus for next year, but a loophole has been revealed that will exclude anyone who acquires a disability over the age of 65 from receiving its benefits.

These people will be forced to rely on aged care services that disability advocates say are grossly inadequate to cope with specific care requirements for people with a disability.

The chief executive of the Motor Neurone Disease foundation, Rod Harris, says this will be especially debilitating for those who suffer from the neurological disease, as it can strike at any age and requires a high level of support and services.

''People are diagnosed with motor neurone disease across the spectrum of ages,'' he said.

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''Our youngest client ever was 17, and our oldest well into her 90s. People who acquire their disability over the pension age should not be consigned to aged care. They should be able to access the services they need to address the impact of their disability, just as those under pension age will be able to.

''Many over pension age are still working, contributing to their community and the Australian economy. They just need support to offset the impact of their disability.''

Mr Harris said the loophole contravened the principles of the scheme as it discriminated on the basis of age, which rarely contributed to the development or acquisition of a disability.

''For those who acquire a disability post pension age, this is a huge issue,'' he said. ''While aged care services may be appropriate for many, some need more than the limited number of hours that age care can provide.

''Whatever their age, they need the same services and supports from community, health and disability services to retain and maintain their independence, continue their community participation, live as independently as possible in the accommodation of their choice for as long as they want.''

The government officially adopted the scheme at the ALP national conference this month. The Industrial Relations Minister, Bill Shorten, who campaigned heavily for the scheme, said the poor status quo for people with a disability was a human rights issue. ''You don't put signs on buildings saying 'no blacks' but that's effectively what we do to people with disabilities,'' he said. ''Imagine if we put 2 million people inside a fence and said 'you can't have the same rights as other people'.''

''They are denying a person aged 66 the right to access the same service opportunities as a person aged 64, even though they may need identical levels of service and support for the same reason,'' Mr Harris said.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme will provide individually tailored care and support to more than 1 million people with a disability and their carers and is projected to cost about $6.3 billion a year to run.

The commission has set out a timeline to implement the scheme of seven years, beginning with a trial in Victoria in 2014 and a target for a nation-wide rollout by 2018-19.